Can nozzle and the like



United States Patent CAN NOZZLE AND THE LIKE Zeth F. Ahlquist, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Zeth F. Ahlquist and Allan R. Nilson, general partners, and Olof G. Nilson, Edna Nilson, J. Edward Martin, Carl B. Olson and Frances H. Ahlquist, limited partners, doing business under the firm name of International Machine and Tool Works, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,421

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-574) The present invention relates in general to articles of manufacture shaped generally in form of tapered sleeves and adapted to be stacked in axially interfitted or nested relation during storage or shipment. More particularly, the invention relates to tapered neck-type nozzles for attachment in the orifices of containers such as oil cans, providing on the one hand for smooth pouring and on the other land for the removable attachment of a closure cap.

in the manufacture of containers such as the familiar five-gallon oil or gasoline can, a pouring nozzle or neck formed as a sheet metal sleeve is sealingly crimped in the filling and draining orifice. The nozzle facilitates pouring from the can and is shaped at its upper end for receiving a snap-type or threaded cap. Usually such nozzles are separately formed by upsetting sheet metal stock, being produced in mass quantities by a supplier for the can manufacturer. The nozzles are made in a generally frusto-conical shape, i. e., of larger internal diameter at one end than the other, and then stacked in axially interfitted or nested relation for storing or shipping in cardboard tubes, and for feeding into an automatic machine which crimps and seals them in place in the orifices of cans.

The handling of these nozzles in large quantities is greatly facilitated by the axial stacking. A serious problem arises, however, in that the contiguous nozzles wedge or stick together, or even tightly look, so that they cannot be separated without an inconvenient, time consuming and sometimes destructive prying operation. When a stack of nozzles is placed in a machine for automatic feeding to crimping dies, effective operation of the crimping machine is destroyed by this sticking and locking.

Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide articles of manufacture, such as can nozzles, which are shaped in the general form of tapered sleeves adapted to be axially stacked in partially interfitting relation but which will not stick or look together when so stacked.

Consonant with the foregoing, it is another object to provide such a can nozzle which is simply and economically formed to have the positive non-sticking feature described.

The details, organization, and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a container equipped with a pouring nozzle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the container and nozzle; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section illustrating a plurality of the nozzles stacked in axially, partially interfitting or nesting relation.

While the invention has been shown and is described in some detail by reference to a particular embodiment thereof, there is no intention that it be limited to such 2,778,549 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 "ice detail. On the contrary, the intention here is to cover all alterations, modifications, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the exemplary embodiment of the invention here shown, a neck or nozzle 10 is illustrated (Figs. 1 and 2) as secured around the orifice 11 of a conventional container such as a steel gasoline or oil can 12. The nozzle 10 itself is formed as a generally tapered or frusto-conical sheet metal sleeve, capable of manufacture to the form shown by upsetting sheet metal stock. The nozzle has around its lower, larger marginal edge, an outwardly rolled flange 14 adapted to be received and crimped in a cooperating collar 15 integrally formed around the orifice 11 of the can 12, thus effecting a double lap sealed joint. The central portion 16 of the nozzle tapers in diameter toward the upper marginal edge, which is rolled inwardly to form a bead 18 which is crimped to extend radially beyond the central portion 16, thus providing a gripping surface for a snap-type cap (not shown) of any well known construction. In lieu of the outwardly extending bead 13, outwardly pressed threads may be formed on the upper portion of the nozzle to cooperate with a correspondingly threaded cap.

it will be observed from the drawing that the external diameter A of the bead 18 is less than the internal diameter B of the nozzle at its lower marginal edge and that, therefore, a plurality of the nozzles 10 as thus far described may be stacked axially in partially interfitting or nested relation for storage or shipment.

The nozzle it? thus far described is known in the art and such nozzles have long been manufactured in mass quantities and axially stacked, as described, for storage and shipment. However, the difiiculty heretofore en countered has been that the bead 18 of one nozzle wedges into the tapered inner surface of the contiguous nozzles central portion 116 when a plurality of the nozzles are axially stacked. Such wedging results in an undesirable locking or sticking of the several contiguous nozzles, so that they must be pried apart before each individual one can be applied to an oil can.

In keeping with the present invention, means is provided to prevent such sticking when several of the nozzles Ill are axially stacked, as best seen in Fig. 3. In general terms, the nozzle is provided with an offset creating a reduced internal diameter C around its middle portion, such internal diameter being less than the external diameter A of the bead. As here shown, an inturned annular boss 19 is rolled into the central portion 16 of the nozzle 10 to create a relatively sharp radial step or shoulder of considerably reduced diameter. The inturned boss 19 need not be so great in extent as to deform appreciably the original configuration of the nozzle, but it provides the internal diameter C which is less than the external diameter A of the upper bead. As a result, several of the nozzles 10 may be axially stacked (Pig. 3) with the bead 18 on the smaller diameter marginal edge inserted into the lower, larger diameter end of a contiguous nozzle. The several nozzles thus nest axially for storage, shipment, and handling, but the bead 18 of each nozzle bears against the inturned boss 19 of the nozzle immediately above it, thus limiting the extent of axial telescoping and preventing the bead 13 from wedging within the contiguous surface of the central portion 16 of the adjacent nozzle. The axial abutment of the beads 18 against the inturned bosses l9 assures that each nozzle 10 may be lifted from the one beneath it, no prying being necessary in order to separate the two.

While the simple provision of a rolled or otherwise formed inturned boss 19 in the central portion 16 of each nozzle is inexpensive and hardly noticeable when the nozzle is complete, it solves a very critical problem in the handling of such articles, and permits their axial stacking for storage, shipment and handling with the assurance that they may be easily separated by merely lifting one from the other.

'I claim as my invention:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a metallic sleeve tapered in substantially frustro-conical shape from one axial edge to the other and having an enlarged bead formed around its smaller diameter marginal edge, the external diameter of said bead being less than the internal diameter of said sleeve at its opposite marginal edge, and said sleeve having an inwardly extending circumferential boss formed in its medial portion axially inward from said opposite marginal edge to define an internal diameter less than the external diameter of said bead for axial engagement by the bead of the adjacent article tolimit the extent of nesting between adjacent articles, whereby to permit nested stacking of a plurality of said articles during storage or shipment without wedged locking therebetween.

2. A neck-type nozzle comprising an annular sleeve tapering from one axial edge to the other in the general shape of a frustrated cone and having an outwardly projecting flange at one marginal edge, said flange being adapted to be crimp-connected to a collar around an orifice in a container, a central substantially conical portion tapering in diameter toward the marginal edge, a bead extending radially outward from the said other edge for receiving a closure cap and having an internal diameter less than the external diameter of said bead,

and an inturned circumferential boss formed in said central portion to create a radial shoulder of diameter less than the external diameter of said bead for axial abutment by the bead of the adjacent nozzle to limit inward movement thereof so that a plurality of said nozzles can be stacked in nested relation for shipment, storage and handling Without locking together.

3. A neck-type nozzle or pouring spout for a steel oil can or the like comprising an upset sheet metal sleeve of generally frusto-conical shape from end toend, said sleeve tanering from a relatively large internal diameter at one edge to a smaller external diameter at the other edge, a flange formed at said-one edge to extend substantially radially outward for crimping around an orifice in the can, a circumferential bead formed around said other edge and projecting radially outward for receiving a closure cap, and an inturned annular boss formed in the medial portion of said sleeve axially spaced from said other edge a distance greater than the distance from said one edge and defining an internal radial shoulder of a diameter less than the external diameter of said head for axial abutment by the head of the contiguous nozzle thereby permitting stacking in axially interfitting relation without Wedging of a plurality of said nozzles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,797,033 Williams Mar. 17, 1931 1,855,813 Zampari Apr. 26, 1932 1,952,674 Karsel Mar. 27, 1934 2,049,900 Evans et al. Aug. 4, 1936 

